no bandsaw, any hatchet advice?

[Dogbyte]

i told yall i like to ask questions!!

anyone got any words of true wisdom for a fella left with nothing but a hatchet to rough out his bow blanks?

i know folks do it, and some do it effortlessly.

I figure if i can head into the ordeal with more than just a hatchet, maybe a technique in mind, i might find that learning curve a little more flat.

[wildbill001]

Well, I've never hacked out a bow with a hatchet so I have no particular technique to recommend.  I can however, recommend that you make sure that hatchet is *really* sharp.

10-15 years of working with Scouts has taught me that a dull axe/hatchet is a sure way to win a trip to the E.R.

Wish I had more to offer.

Bill

[mwosborn]

I would suggest trying to find a draw knife - some in the classifieds on occasion.  But you are right - some only use a hatchet.  Good luck.

[wood carver 2]

Antique dealers can be a good source of decent quality tools like draw knives, planes, saws, etc. Usually cheap too. Just make sure they aren't beat up or very rusty. I've bought good moulding planes and screw clamps from the local antique shop.
Dave.

[Dogbyte]

Well i might have not explained what im doing good enough. I have a draw knife, rasps, scraper ect, im talking about not having to hog off all the wood with just a draw knife from a split. Just getting the stave down to a blank of wood with about half an inch of waste wood around what will be the finished bow.  I wish i had a bandsaw to get me close, but all i got is a sharp hatchet, maybe a sawzaw if im careful, but would rather not.

[frank bullitt]

Rabies, Sawzall works just fine! Have used on osage and whitewoods to remove belly excess.

[George Tsoukalas]

I've used an old camp hatchet on upwards of 200 bows. That doesn't include the ones that didn't survive. It is nohting fancy but it works. Jawge

[Dan Landis]

I use a hatchet for most of my rough work on staves.  I lay out the bow on the back of the bow by following the grain with a center line, then do all my layout from that line.  I then use a hatchet to remove all wood down close to the line by working from the bottom up and taking small chunks off. I make sure to hold the stave so I am cutting square to the back.  I also try to work the wood with the grain as much as possible to prevent pull outs.  When I get it close with the hatchet I switch to a drawknife to clean up down to the line.  When both sides are cleaned up down to the layout lines, I draw the side profile on and use the same process to get it down to profile.  I also use a farriers rasp to get my thickness as uniform as possible.  Then I'm ready to start floor tillering.....Dan

[Dogbyte]

Alright! Now i got a little more confidence, haha! Thanks for the ideas guys....

[DVSHUNTER]

just knife it.

[KellyG]

heck I remember on here the hatchet bow contest, I think it was for Mojam if memory serves you should search it. guys did whole bows with nothing but a hatchet.

[Wingless Arrow]

I was forced to do my first bow with a $10 hatchet. It turned out pretty nice. Just take really small chunks of at a time. And if you happen to hit it so a big piece starts to split away. STOP. Pull out a pocket knife and do that part. You can always remove more, but you can't add it back! So be careful!

Hope it helps,

John

[red hill]

WA has good advice. Small, precise, short chopping action. Choke up on the handle for more control.
Wildbill was dead on about sharpness, also. A dull blade makes you use more force and bad things happen. Been there, done that!

[hova]

Originally posted by DVSHUNTER:
just knife it.

x2. a hatchet or axe no matter how sharp will bite in sooner or later , and ruin a perfectly good bow...


sureform for soft woods , drawknife for hard

[rps3]

To speed up the process you could make handsaw cuts into the belly toward the back every 8 inches or so, dont go too far, leave yourself some room for error, and the use your wedge or axe to pop them off.

[4est trekker]

See this page in a build-along I did.  I briefly show a few trick for using a hatchet on a board bow, but the technique can be applied to a stave bow.  Just keep that thing sharp, choke up, and don't rush it.

 http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=125;t=002064;p=12

[Tom Leemans]

If you go the hatchet route, keep this in mind. Most people you see will start hacking away from the top down. (Like say.. working from handle to tip) This is a good way to remove some wood you may have wanted to keep. If you start near the limb tip and take off smaller amounts at a time and work your way up, you'll have less chance of the wood splitting along the grain and taking off a big slab you wish was still on the bow. It will instead most likely run down to your last starting point and flake off. (large chips instead of long slabs) Keep your hatchet sharp!

[shawnee]

Keep things you don't want cut, like fingers and legs, out of the way!  Glancing blows from the hatchet bouncing off the stave can get serious in a hurry!

[7 Lakes]

Sorry but I'm going to get off track here a minute.  On my 10th birthday I hounded my parents for a hatchet for Christmas.  Being a new scout I was relentless.  Well I got the hatchet with safety instructions from dad "Don't chop anything".  

I couldn't wait to chop something, after all what is a hatchet for?  I came across a downed Hickory (luck) and cut off a limb.  I then strung it up with bailing twine.  Killed my first rabbit and squirrel with that "bow".  It had at least 6" of string follow but it was easy to string up.

[razorback]

Lakes, I well remember the first hatchet I got as a scout. It had been my grandfathers that i had some how scored. Dad gets it razor sharp, gives it to me and says don't chop anything. He walks away, I grab the firsat piece of wood I find and promptly miss it and still carry the scare on my thumb,    I still have that hatchet and plan on making a bow completely using that tool.